Testimonial Questions: 40+ Questions to Ask Customers, by Goal and Format

Quick answer: Good testimonial questions are open, specific and neutral. Ask about the problem before the purchase, one specific result after it, and who the customer would recommend you to. Three questions are enough for most testimonials. Put them in story order: before, after, recommendation. Do not suggest the answer in the question.

A testimonial is only as good as the question that starts it. The question "Can you write a few words about us?" gets a few polite words. The question "What did your week look like before you started?" gets a story.

This guide gives you testimonial questions for four goals: before-and-after story, specific result, objection and recommendation. It also gives sets for four business types (SaaS, coaching, agency, online course) and for video or written formats. It also tells you how many questions to ask and in which order.

On this page

1. Why open, specific questions get better answers
2. How many testimonial questions should you ask?
3. How to put the questions in order
4. Testimonial questions by goal
5. Testimonial questions by business type
6. Video testimonial questions versus written testimonial questions
7. Questions to avoid
8. Frequently asked questions

Why open, specific questions get better answers

Open questions get stories, and closed questions get "yes" or "no". A testimonial needs a story, so most of your questions must be open.

The Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g), a user experience research firm, defines the two types. In its article Open-Ended vs. Closed Questions in User Research (January 2024), open questions "allow participants to give a free-form text answer". Closed questions restrict people to a limited set of answers. NN/g says that open questions give deeper insights and let you find more than you expect.

Specific questions help in a second way. A broad question ("What do you think of us?") makes the customer do all the work. A specific question ("What was the first thing you did with the time you saved?") points to one memory. Memories give details, and details make a testimonial believable.

Key takeaway: Ask open questions that point to one specific moment or result.

How many testimonial questions should you ask?

Ask 3 questions for a short video or a written testimonial. Ask up to 5 only when you interview the customer live and can skip questions.

Each extra question costs the customer time. The customer is doing you a favor, so a short request respects that. Three questions also match the three parts of a simple story: the problem, the result and the recommendation.

The format also sets the limit:

• Self-recorded video: 3 questions. The customer sees all of them and answers in one take. In Proven Praise, for example, a business writes up to 3 questions, and the customer records one video of up to 3 minutes. That is about one minute for each question.
• Written form: 3 questions, with one optional fourth ("Anything else?"). Long forms get short answers.
• Live interview (call or on site): 5-8 questions. You can follow up on good answers and skip weak ones. You will use only a few minutes of the recording.

Key takeaway: Three good questions give a better testimonial than ten average ones.

How to put the questions in order

Put the questions in story order: before, after, recommendation. The viewer then hears a problem, a change and a reason to act, in that sequence.

1. Before (the problem). "What was the situation before you started with us?" This question lets a prospect with the same problem see themselves.
2. After (the result). "What is one specific thing that is different now?" This question gives the proof.
3. Recommendation (the audience). "Who would you recommend us to, and why?" This question tells the right prospect that the testimonial is about them.

If you have a 4th question, put the objection question between "before" and "after". For example: "What almost stopped you from buying?" A doubt that the customer had and then overcame is strong proof.

Start with an easy question. People remember their problem clearly, so "before" is easy. Put the most important question (the result) in the middle, when the customer is relaxed but not tired.

Testimonial questions by goal

Pick the goal first, then pick 1 question from each group that you need. The questions below are open, neutral and specific.

Before-and-after story

Use these when you want a prospect to recognize their own problem.

1. What was the situation before you started with us?
2. What did you try before, and what happened?
3. What was the cost of the problem (time, money or stress)?
4. What made you look for a solution at that moment?
5. What is different about a normal day or week now?

Specific result

Use these when you want proof. Ask for a number, a date or a named event.

1. What is one specific result you got? A number or a date helps.
2. What was the first moment you knew it worked?
3. What can you do now that you could not do before?
4. What did you do with the time or money you saved?
5. If you measure anything, what changed in the numbers?

Objection

Use these to answer the doubts that stop prospects from buying. Look at your sales calls for the common doubts (price, time, "it will not work for me").

1. What almost stopped you from buying?
2. What did you worry about before you started? Was the worry correct?
3. How did the price compare with the value you got?
4. How long did it take to set up or get started?
5. What would you say to someone who has the same doubt that you had?

Recommendation

Use these at the end. They tell the right prospect that the testimonial is for them.

1. Who would you recommend us to?
2. Who should not buy this, in your opinion?
3. What would you tell a friend who asked about us?
4. What is the one thing a new customer must know?

The question "Who should not buy this?" sounds risky. Honest limits make the rest of the testimonial more believable, and they filter out bad-fit customers.

Key takeaway: One question from "before", one from "specific result" and one from "recommendation" makes a complete testimonial.

Testimonial questions by business type

Use the business type to make the questions more specific. Each set below has three questions in story order. Change the words in brackets.

SaaS testimonial questions

1. Before you used [product], how did you do [task]? What was hard about it?
2. What is one task that is faster or easier now? How much, if you know?
3. What type of team or company should use [product]?

Optional: "What did you switch from, and why?" Switch stories help prospects who use a competitor.

Coaching testimonial questions

1. Where were you when you started coaching? What did you want to change?
2. What is one decision or action you took because of the coaching?
3. Who would get the most from working with [coach name]?

Coaching results are often personal. Let the customer choose how much to share, and do not ask for private details.

Agency client testimonial questions

1. What was the business problem when you hired [agency]?
2. What did the project deliver? A number, a launch date or a before-and-after helps.
3. What was it like to work with the team day to day?

The third question matters for agencies. Prospects buy the result, but they also buy the working relationship.

Online course testimonial questions

1. What made you sign up for [course]? What did you want to learn or do?
2. What did you build, finish or change after the course?
3. Who is this course for, and who is it not for?

A specific output ("I launched my first paid workshop") is stronger than a general feeling ("I learned a lot").

Video testimonial questions versus written testimonial questions

Video questions must be short and spoken-friendly. Written questions can ask for more detail and numbers. The goal is the same, but the format changes how people answer.

Video testimonial questions (3-question set)

1. What was the situation before you started with us?
2. What is one thing that is different now?
3. Who would you recommend us to, and why?

Add a short note for video: "Talk to the camera as if you speak to a friend. You do not need to prepare. You can record again." People who speak naturally look more believable than people who read.

Written testimonial questions (3-question set)

1. What problem did you want to fix when you found us?
2. What specific result did you get? Please include a number or a date if you can.
3. Who would you recommend us to?
4. (Optional) Is there anything else you want to say?

For a full guide to the customer side, read how to write a testimonial. For video format tips, read our guide to video testimonials.

Questions to avoid

Do not ask leading questions. A leading question puts the answer into the question. NN/g defines it as a question that "includes or implies the desired answer" (Avoid Leading Questions, Amy Schade, December 2017).

Leading questions also create a trust problem. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) gives the rule in its Endorsement Guides FAQ: "Endorsements must reflect the honest opinions or experiences of the endorser." A question that pushes for praise works against that rule.

Also do not edit the answer to change its meaning. Use the customer's words. If you need a shorter version, cut it, but do not rewrite it. Proven Praise follows this rule: its AI picks clips and one quote, word for word from the transcript, and does not change the customer's words. The business approves each testimonial before it goes public.

Frequently asked questions

What are good testimonial questions?

Good testimonial questions are open, specific and neutral. Here are three examples. "What was the situation before you started with us?" "What is one specific result you got?" "Who would you recommend us to?" Each question points to one memory. None of them suggests the answer. Together, they make a short story with a problem, a result and an audience.

How many questions should I ask for a testimonial?

Ask 3 questions for a self-recorded video or a written testimonial. Three questions cover the problem, the result and the recommendation, and they keep the request short. For a live interview, prepare 5-8 questions, because you can follow up on good answers and skip the others.

What questions should I ask for a video testimonial?

Ask 3 short questions in story order. Ask about the situation before, then one thing that is different now, then who they would recommend you to and why. Show one question at a time, keep each to one sentence, and tell the customer that they can record again.

What questions should I ask a client for a testimonial?

Ask a client about the business problem, the result of the work and the working relationship. For example, ask "What did the project deliver?" and "What was it like to work with the team?" The third question matters for service businesses because prospects also buy the relationship.

Should I send the testimonial questions in advance?

Yes. Send the questions with the request so the customer can think before they answer. For video, tell the customer not to write a script. A customer who reads a script sounds stiff. A customer who knows the questions but speaks freely sounds natural and believable.

Can I ask only my happiest customers?

You can choose whom to ask, but be careful. The FTC Endorsement Guides FAQ discusses a business that asks only likely happy customers for reviews. The FTC says this "would be misleading if it substantially skews the favorability of the reviews." For testimonials, show real, typical experiences and do not claim that they represent all customers.

Should testimonial questions ask for numbers?

Yes, but do not require them. A number ("we cut onboarding from 3 weeks to 4 days") makes a testimonial specific and believable. Many customers do not measure results, so write "if you know" or "if you can". A forced number can be a guess, and a guess is a weak claim.

Conclusion

1. Ask open, specific, neutral questions.
2. Ask 3 questions for a video or written testimonial.
3. Put them in story order: before, after, recommendation.
4. Use the business type to make each question specific.
5. Do not lead the customer, and do not change their words.

Good questions are half the work. The other half is the request itself. Read our guide to the testimonial request email for timing and templates. Read our guide on how to collect testimonials for the full process.

Do you take payment through Stripe? Then Proven Praise can send your 3 questions to each paying customer after a wait that you set. It collects the answers as video. You can start free with 3 video testimonials.